


Loss

by EsorValia



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-21
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2018-07-25 19:54:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7545847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EsorValia/pseuds/EsorValia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short piece on Yuya's feelings after losing to Reiji at the end of Season 1</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loss

Yuzu was gone. Stolen away. Taken to that godforsaken place called Academia, farther than either of them had ever gone before. Or so he thinks. That's what _he_ implied anyway, that damn Akaba Reiji who watched them all like pieces on a chessboard.  
  
Join the Lancers and you can save her. You _do_ want to save her, right? __  
  
And he grits his teeth, biting down a scalding retort, forcing down that squirming hatred building up in his chest. Of course he does! Of course he wants to save her! How dare he even ask that!? But he hates it, what this man was doing. Dangling that thread of hope before him, making him jump through loopholes just to learn what it is he desperately wants to know. ( _Yuzu's okay, right? She's not hurt? There's a way to save her? Please, please, please be okay._ )  
  
And he knows. Akaba Reiji knows. He knows where she is. He knows everything and yet refuses to tell, withholds, says nothing except what he wants you to hear. (There's a reason for that. Not all who are present are trustworthy. This is how Reiji maintains control of the situation. You don't reveal all the cards in your hands. You don't lose yourself in your emotions. That is what leads you to victory. "But don't forget to have fun!" Yuya would add much, much later when he can finally see eye to eye with Reiji. But not now. He couldn't, didn't want to understand someone so coldhearted.) __  
  
In exchange for information he wants his cooperation. Yuya almost barks out a laugh. What cooperation? This was completely coercion. He almost spits that in his face, but one look at Akaba Reiji's cool gaze (how despite everything Yuya had done, despite everything he fought for, it was Reiji who maintained the upper hand in their last duel, and Reiji who had won.) and he reluctantly keeps his mouth shut. In the end, he wasn’t able to protect Yuzu. In the end, he wasn’t strong enough.  
  
He needed to get stronger, stronger than Akaba Reiji--stronger than anyone. Much, _much_ stronger.  
  
He hates this feeling of oppression, of being forced against his will to do what this man wants.  
  
But if that's what was necessary to save Yuzu, he would do anything. __  
  
( _Even if that meant--_ )

**Author's Note:**

> Guhah--/coughsblood I was trying to write a serious piece on pancakes but everything kept turning into crack. Have this angry tomato instead as I flip through other WIPs.


End file.
